Restaurant: Daily Grill, Tyson's Corner
Web Site: http://www.dailygrill.com/
Address: 2001 International Drive, McLean, VA
Phone: (703) 288-5100
Daily Grill has a number of locations in the DC area. This one is in the Tyson's Galleria shopping center, AKA Tyson's 2, AKA the New Tyson's.
It's a nice facility, and pretty large including outdoor seating if you want to watch a parking lot. We're usually there pre-concert, so well ahead of any crowd. The service is always good while not being too much, the background music is nice, and the volume level works well for conversation.
The menu is very large and varied, so its a good place to go with a group that doesn't agree on choices. It would be pretty difficult to not find something you like on the menu. The menu ranges from bar food like burgers up through steaks and seafood dishes. Prices are reasonable, but this wouldn't be considered a low cost place.
Martini was off-the-hook good, too. So few places know how to make a good Martini since vodka became popular.
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Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Restaurant: Papa Razzi - Georgetown
Restaurant: Papa Razzi Trattoria/Bar
Web Site: http://www.paparazzi-restaurant.com
Address: 1064 Wisconsin Avenue, Washington, DC 20007
Phone: (202) 298-8000
(Note; as of Dec 2014 this location seems to be gone)
We had been to the location over in Virgina years ago, and it was a hoot because the matre 'd was an operatic tenor. "Happy Birthday" was a very unique experience there!
That location is long gone, and this location right in the heart of Georgetown in Washington DC is better (and super convenient for Blues Alley), nicer, and has parking right next door. Plus, Georgetown is a great location for people watching, and there's a lot of people right outside the bar window.
Service was good, but I think we haven't figured out their strong dishes yet (only the second visit at that location). The scaloppine was a little too crisp, the piccata a little too tart. Salads were great, drinks/wine was great. Next time the small pizzas or a pasta dish to work through the menu.
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Web Site: http://www.paparazzi-restaurant.com
Address: 1064 Wisconsin Avenue, Washington, DC 20007
Phone: (202) 298-8000
(Note; as of Dec 2014 this location seems to be gone)
We had been to the location over in Virgina years ago, and it was a hoot because the matre 'd was an operatic tenor. "Happy Birthday" was a very unique experience there!
That location is long gone, and this location right in the heart of Georgetown in Washington DC is better (and super convenient for Blues Alley), nicer, and has parking right next door. Plus, Georgetown is a great location for people watching, and there's a lot of people right outside the bar window.
Service was good, but I think we haven't figured out their strong dishes yet (only the second visit at that location). The scaloppine was a little too crisp, the piccata a little too tart. Salads were great, drinks/wine was great. Next time the small pizzas or a pasta dish to work through the menu.
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Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Restaurant: Shakti's, Wenatchee, WA
Restaurant: Shakti's Restaurant
Web Site: http://www.shaktisfinedining.com/
Address: 218 North Mission, Wenatchee, WA
Phone: (509) 662-3321
Very nice atmosphere, great background music (I heard Miles, Grant Green, Charlie Parker), nice wine. The shrimp had too much butter in the sauce (for me), but well done.
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Web Site: http://www.shaktisfinedining.com/
Address: 218 North Mission, Wenatchee, WA
Phone: (509) 662-3321
Very nice atmosphere, great background music (I heard Miles, Grant Green, Charlie Parker), nice wine. The shrimp had too much butter in the sauce (for me), but well done.
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Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Restaurant: Ricciuti's Brick Oven Pizza
Restaurant: Ricciuti's Brick Oven Pizza
Web Site: http://www.ricciutis.com/
Address: 3308 Olney Sandy Spring Rd, Olney, MD 20832
Phone: (301) 570-3388
One of our "go to" places. Close by, nice atmosphere, varied menu. Seems like an Italian place, but really its about locally grown, creatively prepared, nice food. The point seems to be the wood fired pizza oven (and its worth the trip), but the entries are frequently what we get.
We found out Monday's are half-price wine night (bonus!), and when the weather is nice the outside tables can be nice if one is available. An old house with lots of room, including a ghost (ask the waiter).
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Web Site: http://www.ricciutis.com/
Address: 3308 Olney Sandy Spring Rd, Olney, MD 20832
Phone: (301) 570-3388
One of our "go to" places. Close by, nice atmosphere, varied menu. Seems like an Italian place, but really its about locally grown, creatively prepared, nice food. The point seems to be the wood fired pizza oven (and its worth the trip), but the entries are frequently what we get.
We found out Monday's are half-price wine night (bonus!), and when the weather is nice the outside tables can be nice if one is available. An old house with lots of room, including a ghost (ask the waiter).
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Restaurant: Shula's Steak House, Baltimore
Restaurant: Shula's Steak House, Baltimore
Web Site: http://www.donshula.com/rest.php?s=shulas
Address: 101 W Fayette St, Baltimore, MD
Phone: (410) 385-6630
Been here three times now. Located in the downtown Baltimore Sheraton, and not to be confused with the more casual sports bar Shula's II next to it. A traditional steak house with the typical expensive (yet top notch) cuts of beef and a la carte sides. And in a nod to current eating habits, lots of fish on the menu as well.
Not very crowded on weekends. Maybe its the economy, maybe its the result of being in a business oriented hotel on a weekend, but never very crowded. Service is better than average. Last time the chef ended up chatting with us a while. One of there gimmicks is having everyone cut open their food after presentation and using a flashlight to make sure it is cooked as desired.
Themed to the legendary Don Shula of that undefeated season, the restaurant paints the menu on a football and hangs pictures from that historic team on the walls. As fate would have it, we usually end up near a picture that has the great Washington Redskin Billy Kilmer right in the middle of it. He is a family favorite and the picture is always appreciated.
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Web Site: http://www.donshula.com/rest.php?s=shulas
Address: 101 W Fayette St, Baltimore, MD
Phone: (410) 385-6630
Been here three times now. Located in the downtown Baltimore Sheraton, and not to be confused with the more casual sports bar Shula's II next to it. A traditional steak house with the typical expensive (yet top notch) cuts of beef and a la carte sides. And in a nod to current eating habits, lots of fish on the menu as well.
Not very crowded on weekends. Maybe its the economy, maybe its the result of being in a business oriented hotel on a weekend, but never very crowded. Service is better than average. Last time the chef ended up chatting with us a while. One of there gimmicks is having everyone cut open their food after presentation and using a flashlight to make sure it is cooked as desired.
Themed to the legendary Don Shula of that undefeated season, the restaurant paints the menu on a football and hangs pictures from that historic team on the walls. As fate would have it, we usually end up near a picture that has the great Washington Redskin Billy Kilmer right in the middle of it. He is a family favorite and the picture is always appreciated.
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Sunday, April 26, 2009
Hotel: Marriott Residence Inn Long Beach
City: Long Beach, California
Chain: Marriott
Property: Marriott Residence Inn - Long Beach
Address: 4111 E Willow St, Long Beach, CA 90815
Phone Number: (562) 595-0909
Check Out: April 2009
Typical Residence Inn experience (which means good things as well as bad things). Right off the 405, very close to Long Beach airport. Some remodeling was going on while I was there. The rooms are more like studio apartments than hotels, and they do a happy hour each night and free breakfast like Hampton Inn.
Rating:
Directions: Off I-5 south of Disneyland exits (College Drive?)
Last Visit: August 2008 ($150)
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Chain: Marriott
Property: Marriott Residence Inn - Long Beach
Address: 4111 E Willow St, Long Beach, CA 90815
Phone Number: (562) 595-0909
Check Out: April 2009
Typical Residence Inn experience (which means good things as well as bad things). Right off the 405, very close to Long Beach airport. Some remodeling was going on while I was there. The rooms are more like studio apartments than hotels, and they do a happy hour each night and free breakfast like Hampton Inn.
Rating:
- Safety: 1
- Dining: 0.5 (breakfast only)
- Bar: 0
- Internet: 1 (free, wired)
- Wireless in Common Areas: 0 (I think)
- Work Space, Power: 0.5 (power was not convenient to desks/tables)
- Shower: 1
- Air Conditioning, Bed: 1
- Common Areas: 1
Directions: Off I-5 south of Disneyland exits (College Drive?)
Last Visit: August 2008 ($150)
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Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Tripit
I've been using Tripit.com for a while. This is a great service for organizing your travel. Tripit receives your Email notifications of e-tickets, hotel reservations, etc. and organizes them into one nicely formatted itinerary document with maps, weather, and links for check in. You simply forward your reservations and its sends you a notification when its done.
Some added functionality is that you can create a network of fellow travelers with whom you would like to share this information - great for your colleagues. It sends notifications and alerts as you are going to be in the same city.
Because Tripit keeps track of all your flights I'm going to remove the flight records here that have no details and move them to Tripit. I'll leave the ones where I provide some descriptive information.
Some added functionality is that you can create a network of fellow travelers with whom you would like to share this information - great for your colleagues. It sends notifications and alerts as you are going to be in the same city.
Because Tripit keeps track of all your flights I'm going to remove the flight records here that have no details and move them to Tripit. I'll leave the ones where I provide some descriptive information.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Restaurant: Wildfire, Chicago
Restaurant: Wildfire, Chicago
Web Site: http://wildfirerestaurant.com
Address: 159 W. Erie, Chicago, Illinois 60610
Phone: 312-787-9000
Here with a business dinner. Looks like a traditional steakhouse, although the menu was very large and a lot of seafood also. Had about 6 or 7 different ways to order Filet Mignon! Large open kitchen in the back with lots of flames as they have grills and rotisseries running back there. Like a traditional steakhouse, the sides were a la carte.
Service was good, although I was with a large group that was a little too loud to really understand the service.
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Web Site: http://wildfirerestaurant.com
Address: 159 W. Erie, Chicago, Illinois 60610
Phone: 312-787-9000
Here with a business dinner. Looks like a traditional steakhouse, although the menu was very large and a lot of seafood also. Had about 6 or 7 different ways to order Filet Mignon! Large open kitchen in the back with lots of flames as they have grills and rotisseries running back there. Like a traditional steakhouse, the sides were a la carte.
Service was good, although I was with a large group that was a little too loud to really understand the service.
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Saturday, February 14, 2009
Restaurant: The Palm, Boston
Restaurant: The Palm, Boston
Web Site: http://thepalm.com
Address: At the Westin Coplay Place, 200 Dartmouth Street, Boston, MA 02116
Phone: 617.867.9292
Visited for a business lunch. As you would expect, the food was great (although I can't go on and on about a club sandwich), but the real attraction is the service which is off-the-hook good. In Coplay Place which is near the Prudential Center.
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Web Site: http://thepalm.com
Address: At the Westin Coplay Place, 200 Dartmouth Street, Boston, MA 02116
Phone: 617.867.9292
Visited for a business lunch. As you would expect, the food was great (although I can't go on and on about a club sandwich), but the real attraction is the service which is off-the-hook good. In Coplay Place which is near the Prudential Center.
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Monday, February 09, 2009
Restaurant: Les Halles, Washington DC
Restaurant: Les Halles Brassserie
Web Site: http://www.LesHalles.net
Address: 1201 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington DC 20004
Phone: 202.347.6848
One of our favorite places to go - kind of casual, the food is great, unique atmosphere, and a great location. Right on Pennsylvania Avenue down the street from the White House, and super convenient for the National and Warner theaters. We usually get the small fillets, and they make the world's greatest french fries.
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Web Site: http://www.LesHalles.net
Address: 1201 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington DC 20004
Phone: 202.347.6848
One of our favorite places to go - kind of casual, the food is great, unique atmosphere, and a great location. Right on Pennsylvania Avenue down the street from the White House, and super convenient for the National and Warner theaters. We usually get the small fillets, and they make the world's greatest french fries.
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Sunday, February 08, 2009
Hotel: Hampton Inn Downingtown/Exton
City: Exton, PA
Chain: Hampton Inn (Hilton)
Property: Hampton Inn Downington/Exton
Address: 4 North Pottstown Pike, Lionville, PA 19341
Phone Number: (610) 363-5555
Check Out: 2009, 2011
(Comments reflect room 232)
Typical Hampton Inn experience, clear, good cost point, easy check in and check out, limited services but free Internet and parking. Very close to PA Turnpike Downingtown/Exton exit, not too far from Valley Forge/King of Prussia.
Bathroom was a bit small, would have been nice to have the external vanity/sink area. Closet was kind of small, and had clothes rod mounted facing out which makes it very hard to hang clothing in there.
Good lighting, in room refrigerator and microwave. Might have made the best hot tea in room yet (although that's a low bar).
Rating:
Directions:
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Last Visit: 2011, $110
Chain: Hampton Inn (Hilton)
Property: Hampton Inn Downington/Exton
Address: 4 North Pottstown Pike, Lionville, PA 19341
Phone Number: (610) 363-5555
Check Out: 2009, 2011
(Comments reflect room 232)
Typical Hampton Inn experience, clear, good cost point, easy check in and check out, limited services but free Internet and parking. Very close to PA Turnpike Downingtown/Exton exit, not too far from Valley Forge/King of Prussia.
Bathroom was a bit small, would have been nice to have the external vanity/sink area. Closet was kind of small, and had clothes rod mounted facing out which makes it very hard to hang clothing in there.
Good lighting, in room refrigerator and microwave. Might have made the best hot tea in room yet (although that's a low bar).
Rating:
- Safety: 1 (in the middle of nowhere)
- Dining: .5 Breakfast only (on lower end of Hampton experience)
- Bar: 0, beer for sale though
- Internet: 1 (free)
- Wireless in Common Areas: 1
- Work Space, Power: .5 (limited power)
- Shower: .5 (Shower head at shoulder height)
- Air Conditioning, Bed: .5 (Loud AC)
- Common Areas: 1
Directions:
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Last Visit: 2011, $110
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Hotel: Hampton Inn Dayton-Airport
City: Dayton, Ohio
Chain: Hampton Inn (Hilton)
Property: Hampton Inn & Suites Dayton-Airport
Address: 180 Rockridge Road, Englewood, Ohio 45322
Phone Number: (937) 832-3333
Map:
Check Out: August 2008
Typical Hampton Inn experience (which is positive - clean, internet, free breakfast).
Staff was extremely nice and friendly, as is typical for the Dayton area, and especially appreciated when arriving very late from delayed travel. Near the airport, but not as close as you'd think.
Rating:
Directions:
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Last Visit: August 2008 ($120)
Chain: Hampton Inn (Hilton)
Property: Hampton Inn & Suites Dayton-Airport
Address: 180 Rockridge Road, Englewood, Ohio 45322
Phone Number: (937) 832-3333
Map:
Check Out: August 2008
Typical Hampton Inn experience (which is positive - clean, internet, free breakfast).
Staff was extremely nice and friendly, as is typical for the Dayton area, and especially appreciated when arriving very late from delayed travel. Near the airport, but not as close as you'd think.
Rating:
- Safety: 1
- Dining: 1 (breakfast only, buffet)
- Bar: 0
- Internet: 1
- Wireless in Common Areas: 0
- Work Space, Power: 1
- Shower: 1
- Air Conditioning, Bed: 1
- Common Areas: 1
Directions:
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Last Visit: August 2008 ($120)
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